Are you planning an upcoming trip to Disneyland with your family? Have little kids? I have been to Disneyland MANY MANY times with my kids, and at various ages and stages!
TIP #1 – Stroller is a MUST HAVE!
For me, a stroller is the #1 thing I must have for EVERY trip we take to Disney with our children. At home, I have a Bob Duallie jogging stroller, that is just my favorite, go to stroller. It is beyond handy, but it is huge, and heavy! So, naturally, I am not going to take it through an airport, just not worth it! With that being said, there is a work around, which is very affordable, super convenient, and MUCH easier! Rent a stroller!! There are many services out there, but the ones that I have used personally are travelingbaby.com and kingdomstrollers.com
Here are a few of the things that I love about renting a stroller!
: You are NOT limited! If you were to rent a stroller from Disney, you pick it up when entering, and drop it off when leaving. This is SUPER inconvenient, especially on long days, or late days! If your family is anything like mine, we make the most of our trip, and close the park down EVERY night of our trip. So when we leave, our kids are so tired, they have no energy left in them to make the walk back to the hotel. So having a 3rd part stroller service, is so nice, because you have the stroller the entire time!
: The the stroller is delivered to your hotel, and picked up after your stay!
: It is much easier to navigate the parks with a jogging stroller. The big wheels make it much easier to travel around, and get up and down off of the curbs. If you have been to Disney before, you know it is very fast paced, and being able to navigate quickly is essential. Especially during peak times…. we almost always go during the 4th of July, which is INSANELY busy!
: You don’t have to travel with it, whether you are flying, or driving
TIP #2 – Pack Snacks / Water
With my big double jogging stroller that I ALWAYS rent, I have plenty of room to pack snacks, including water. Even though there are many places in Disney to get FREE water, I still like to pack bottles of water. When we first get to Anaheim, we always go to the local Walgreens, 7-11, or whatever store is nearby, and grab a couple cases of water. We use that to refill our stroller during our park trips each day. We also make sure to pack snacks, which is so important, and much more affordable than buying snacks at Disney.
TIP #3 – FAST PASSES!
This is SO important. I do not know how many times we have either missed being able to go on an attraction/ride, or had to wait in line for HOURS! One trip in particular, we waited over 2 1/2 hours to get on Grizzly River Run! Of course, this was over the 4th of July, and it was over 100 degrees, so naturally, everyone was wanting to ride the water rides. The next time, we fast pass’ed it, and guess what, we walked right on by the long line… of course, everyone stares at you in disbelief, as if you are cutting in line lol, but it is SO worth it!
You can do your fast passes when you get to the park, or do them through the Disney app, which I love! You are also able to use them for certain shows! In fact, one year we were able to get fast passes for the World of Color light show, which is in California Adventure! That came in super handy, not to mention, it was an incredible show!
TIP #4 – Be Flexible!
This is HUGE! Especially with young kids in tow! I see so many families that try to adhere to a rigid schedule while in Disney, or they plan things out so structured, but end up getting stressed when it doesn’t work! If it works great, if not, plan on being flexible!
We usually sleep in, as we have young kids, but we always close the park down. We take our time, make plenty of stops, or walk extra loops to get the kids down for a nap. The heat always wears them out! I rarely plan meals out, so reservations for us are few and far between. Once in a blue moon we will make a reservation, but that is usually for dinner.
Tip #5 – Eat out of the park + Snacks!
Now granted, some of my favorite snacks, and meals are at Disney, and we of course eat at Disney. Who can resist a Churro! But, there are so many places to eat off site! Let’s face it, anywhere in either of the two parks, and downtown Disney, are insanely expensive, and usually busy. There are a number of local places to eat within walking distance.
Our go to is the Bubba Gumps, but if you want something even more laid back than that, there is an Ihop, or you can sit in your room, and order Uber eats! The options are endless!
As far as snacks are concerned, pack lots of them! I promise you, your kids will thank you, and so will your pocket book! We always make a grocery run when we get there, usually Walgreens, or another local store. If you will like getting an Uber, you can go to Target, or another bigger store. We load up on water, sandwich material, granola bars, cereal, fruit (bananas/apples), and other snack type things. I will make PB & J sandwiches for the park, and put cereal in little ziplock baggies… cereal is the ultimate tasty snack on the go for kids! But, feel free to get creative! It feels good to make snacks, and not have to buy everything in the park.
TIP #6 – Breakfast Buffet!
This is seriously one of the most important things! When booking a hotel, find out if they have a breakfast buffet, read reviews, and decide what works for you! My personal favorite hotel, which is new, modern, clean, and has one of the BEST buffets in Anaheim is the “Residence Inn Anaheim/Near Convention Center”. It is located on the corner of Harbor and Katella, which means you are close to stores, and restaurants (including Bubba Gumps), and only a short walk from the park. Plus they have a pizza place connected to the hotel. But seriously, their BUFFET is amazing, and is all you can eat. What we always do is eat our food, and take our left overs to the park… such as the bagels, donuts, granola bars, cereal, hardboiled eggs, yogurt (if we plan on eating it in a reasonable amount of time), and other food items!
I have many more useful tips for your Disney trip! If there is anything in particular you have questions about, just let me know! I can recommend (based on my own personal experiences), good, reliable airport shuttle services, hotels (I have stayed on many, and have favorites), restaurants that are good quality, and near by, plus much more!
If you have any good tips that I have missed let me know! Also, I would be interested in hearing what your favorite snack/food place is located in Disneyland, and California Adventure!!!! Comment below!
One Blended Bunch - A Lund Family Vlog 